Amery puts police chief on leave

The City of Amery has placed Police Chief Tom Marson on paid administrative leave, after he was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of drunk driving.

Marson was taken into custody early Sunday morning at his home, after his personal vehicle was found in a ditch along Highway 46 just south of Amery. A Polk County Sheriff’s deputy says Marson claimed that that he slid into the ditch because of slippery road conditions. The deputy reported that Marson smelled strongly of alcohol and failed a breath test. Marson’s blood alcohol level was 0.15-percent.

The decision to place Marson on leave was announced Monday night following a closed door meeting of the city’s personnel committee. Retired Sgt Mark Meyer, who is also a part time police officer with the department, will serve as acting Amery police chief for the time being. The Amery City Council will meet in closed session February 24 to discuss the incident.

Marson is expected in court later this week following his arrest for OWI.